The ephemeral moments of spring
by yxx
Summary: [AU] 'It is something better than spring itself...something that is the start of a miracle…' Despite Kuroko Tetsuya's role as a phantom member of the Generation of Miracles, she still, in the end, affects every single one of them. Fem!Kuroko/GoM, Akashi/Fem!Kuroko
1. Chapter 1: Enter Kuroko Tetsuya

**I saw a lot of fem!Kuroko fanfictions, and really liked them, so I decided to give it a try myself! This is basically the Teiko story with Kuroko being a girl instead. fem!KurokoxGoM. There are a lot of other fics with similar premises, but I'm going to try to make this as original as I can. Suggestions are welcome!**

 _The weather was so nice, you couldn't call it spring. It was something better than the arrival of spring, something that meant the start of a miracle…_

With a novel in hand, Kuroko Tetsuya quickly made her way through the crowds, trying to look for the club she wanted. There were students in kendo gear, students wearing cartoon costumes, and many more sights just outside Teiko Middle School, for it was time for all the clubs to advertise themselves to the newcomers.

"Dai-chan, what club are you going to join?"

"Basketball, of course. I heard that this school was pretty good."

"Eh? Then I'll be the manager then. I'll make a bento for you at every game!"

"No… I won't be able to play if you make the bento. Oh, sorry- huh?" The tanned boy turned around, but nobody was there.

Kuroko closed her novel and squeezed through the crowds, still looking for her ideal club while quietly admiring the blooming cherry blossom trees nearby.

"Do you like reading? How about joining the literature club?" A boy started to talk to Kuroko, but she slipped away quietly, not noticing the strange conversation that followed.

"This is a phone book."

"Phone book? That's a book too… wait. Why are you carrying around a phone book?"

"It's today's lucky item from Oha-Asa."

"Huh?"

Kuroko made her way through some more crowds, paying no attention to a mob of second and third years around a tall student and a group of sighing girls surrounding a smiling boy. She smiled to herself as the basketball club came into sight. "There it is…"

All of the applicants for the basketball club were gathered in the gym. Most of them were conversing among themselves as more and more people streamed in to join the growing crowd.

Kuroko stood in a corner, heart beating. This was the day she was waiting for! Their promise would be fulfilled now. Having no one to talk to, she just stood there, trying to boost her confidence.

"Look. There's a girl."

"Where? I don't see any girl."

"Huh? I really thought I saw someone…"

Everyone grew quiet when the coach started speaking. "Listen up, everyone. I'm sure you all know that Teiko's basketball team is famed for all of our wins. The basketball club is for people who want to win! You are advised to leave if you plan on slacking off here. Now then, we will begin the tests. You will be placed into different strings according to ability. Don't give up even if you are in the 3rd and lowest string. Everyone has a chance to rise through the ranks. Are there any questions before testing begins?"

"Um, excuse me?" Everyone's eyes turned towards a timid looking first year. "What is your question?"

"There seems to be a girl among us applicants. I am not saying that girls can't join, but isn't this club for boys?" The first year pointed to Kuroko, who gulped as she felt everyone's eyes trained on her. She never wanted to cause a big scene!

"What's your name?" The coach stared at Kuroko in surprise, and she quickly answered. "Kuroko Tetsuya. This is my first year here, and I decided to join the boys' basketball club. I am not aware of any rules banning girls from joining. Sorry if I caused you any inconvenience. I will leave right now." She turned and started walking towards the exit, but the coach stopped her.

"Please wait, Kuroko-san. There are no rules banning girls from here. You may stay if you wish, but I have to warn you that our training is known for being particularly grueling."

The event was forgotten just as quick as it had happened, and everyone proceeded to the testing areas. Kuroko stood in her place, but she noticed a redheaded boy studying her. She looked up at his direction, and he turned away quickly.

 _Weird. I thought I was already forgotten._

"Hey, you! Are you coming or not?" Kuroko forgot about the boy and quickly ran to her assigned testing area, hoping to make some friends.

"You're really hard to see, um…" The boy in front of her tried to make conversation, but seemed to have forgotten her name.

"My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. It's boyish, I know, but I like it all the same."

"They say that no first year has ever made first string, you know? I guess the best we can do is aim for second." Kuroko gave the boy a nod, and their conversation ended just like that. She was never good at making friends.

The testing was finished, and everyone gathered to hear the results.

"Starting with the 3rd string…." Kuroko clutched her shirt as she waited. Maybe she'd make second!

"….and Kuroko Tetsuya." The teal-haired girl felt all of her excitement drop, but she smiled to herself when she recalled her promise with Ogiwara-kun. "I'll try my best," she told herself as she lifted her head up. Just as Kuroko walked towards the third string group, a surprising announcement was made.

"Now on to 1st string."

Murmurs exploded like a bomb across the gym. Everyone was muttering to each other, wondering who had made it to the legendary 1st string.

"Who is it?"

"It's a lie, right?"

"# 8: Aomine Daiki, # 11: Midorima Shintaro, # 23: Murasakibara Atsushi, and # 29: Akashi Seijurou."

Kuroko stared at the 4 boys. One had a dark tan and confident smile, the other looked stern and wore glasses, the third was as tall as can be, and the last boy was the one who had been watching her.

 _ **Extra: Kuroko meets Midorima**_

It was the second day of school, and Kuroko headed into her classroom with her bag on her shoulder. She quietly sat down and stared at the clouds.

"H-How did you get that?"

She turned in surprise. The person speaking was the green-haired boy with glasses who made it to the first string, and his shaking finger was pointed at Kuroko's duckling charm hanging off of her school bag.

"I bought it at a stationary store, Midorima-kun."

The boy looked even more shocked when she said his name.

"Do you want it? I can give it to you…"

"Uh, I never said that. It's just the lucky item of the day. But…" The boy looked like he was trying to deny it, but Kuroko could tell that he really wanted it. _Weird hobby, I guess._

"Here." She took it off and tossed it to Midorima, who caught it with gratitude.

"What's your astrological sign?"

"Aquarius. Why are you asking?"

"I'll make sure to tell you what Oha-Asa says from now on. T-Thank you very much for the lucky item. I would've gotten bad luck if I didn't have it."

Kuroko had read about tsunderes in a book, but was this Midorima-kun one?

 **So, what do you think? I'll add interludes throughout their years at Teiko, so it wouldn't have the exact same storyline as the manga flashback. Please review if you liked it!**


	2. Chapter 2: New Friends

**Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I'll answer aruna faylen's review in this note. I'll do a chapter maybe called "Rainbow Hair" that has to do with each member's appearance. Thanks for the suggestions! Kuroko meets Aomine in this chapter, and she also starts to doubt herself. Akashi tells her to use her low presence in misdirection.**

The whistle sounded, which signified the end of the 1 minute break. All of the third stringers were exhausted and sweating, trying to catch their breath. Kuroko wasn't much better. She had prepared herself for the famously grueling training, but the thin girl felt like vomiting. Some of her fellow third stringers gave her a sympathetic look, but that was it, because everyone was focused on completing the exercises. They had no time for pity.

Kuroko received permission to take a break, and she watched the others practice unhappily. Leaving the third string was her goal, but she couldn't even finish the exercises! The girl wiped her forehead with a towel and tied her long teal-colored hair in a ponytail. She probably should cut it, for it made her hot and interfered with practice quite often.

"Cheer up, Tetsuya! Back to practice!" Kuroko reassured herself before returning to the third string.

Kuroko and the other third stringers watched in awe as the first string passed their gym. The girl's heart was beating like crazy from all the physical activities, but she still kept practicing her shooting, striving to enter the second string.

"…And that's it. Keep trying, and I'm sure you'll all go up into second string."

"I could've gone up if I hadn't made that mistake!" Kuroko decided that she would always believe in herself and not criticize herself anymore. She would practice even harder.

"Hey, you know that girl? Kuroko?"

"Hm? Yeah. What about her?"

"She's not throwing up anymore. That's pretty impressive for a girl to keep up."

Kuroko always stayed behind after school to practice, no matter how many times she missed. She was determined, and a determined Kuroko Tetsuya was stronger than ever.

* * *

"Did you hear that there's a ghost in the third string gym?" Momoi Satsuki made a frightened face.

"Eh? Don't talk nonsense, Satsuki."

"But they say it's real! You can hear someone dribbling after school!"

"Are you stupid? There's no such thing as ghosts." Aomine Daiki said so, but he still felt curious. _Maybe I'll check the gym out._

"Hey, Satsuki!" Two girls ran over to the pinkette, eyes bright and curious. "You grew up with Aomine-kun, right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"You're so lucky! Does he have a girlfriend? Wasn't he so cool when he played in the Nationals?" The girls pelted Momoi with questions, and she felt bewildered. _Cool? That's cool?_

"Ah!" One of the girls almost dropped her basket of clothes when Akashi Seijurou bumped into her.

"Please be careful. Oh, and thank you for always helping the basketball club. Let's go, Midorima."As the two walked off, the two girls squealed. "Akashi-sama is so cool too!"

"-sama?"

"He's only a first year but he's already the vice-captain! His family is also super rich."

"Okay…"

* * *

"You seem to be always deep in thought lately, Akashi." Midorima and Akashi were walking on a dark sidewalk outside the gym.

"Hm? Yeah, I am."

"Is it about the Nationals?"

"Yes… Even though we won, there were still dangerous times. Winning next year and the year after that is hard to say. Our team focuses too much on offense, so it would be difficult to handle surprise attacks from our opponent. What we need is change. We need a player like a sixth man that can change the game."

* * *

"AAAAAAUUUGH!"

Kuroko stared at the tanned boy in front of her, who was crouching in fear.

"Um, who are you? Aomine-kun?"

Aomine lifted his head and stared at the teal-haired girl, who was holding a basketball.

 _A Little While Later…_

"So you're here every day just to practice? Not even the first stringers do that! Okay, I've decided!"

"?"

"I'll practice with you after school from now on, and then we'll meet again on the court!" The tanned boy held out his fist.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Anyone who plays basketball is a good person."

They bumped fists, and Aomine felt his heart skip a beat when Kuroko gave him a rare smile.

* * *

"For the fall test, nobody went up to second or first string. Think about your good and bad qualities. That's it. Also, will Kuroko Tetsuya please come up?"

The teal-haired girl froze. She knew what was coming next. Kuroko's footsteps were heavy, and she stared down at the shiny floor.

"I'll just be blunt. I don't think you're suited for this club. Maybe you could consider the Girls' basketball club? Unfortunately, we had to advise the bottom five players to leave the club. I'm not forcing you, but it's just a piece of advice."

Those words kept sounding in Kuroko's head as she walked down the sidewalk. "I'm useless to the club. I can't do it…" She remembered the promise. She remembered Aomine's encouragement. She remembered the joy she felt while practicing basketball, and tears started rolling down her face. Kuroko leaned onto the nearby pole, and she started crying. "I'm sorry… I don't know what to do…"

"Hah? Why?" Kuroko knew that Aomine-kun what definitely oppose her leaving. She avoided his gaze as she slowly replied.

"I like basketball very much, but the time I've spent is all for nothing. I'm not good at basketball. I was just advised to join the Girls' Basketball Club. Besides, this is Teiko. I'm useless here."

"Every player is of some use." Kuroko looked up in surprise.

"Even though you might not be able to play in the games, how can I say to someone who practices more than the first stringers every day that they're useless? At least I respect you, and you make me want to try hard too. I can't say that staying here will give you a happy ending, but giving up means the end of everything."

Aomine's words aroused something in Kuroko, and she was about to tell him that she'd continue when someone entered the gym.

* * *

Akashi was looking for Aomine, but he stopped when he saw who he was with. She was _the_ girl, the one that had a low presence. He had always felt that she was different from the other third stringers, but he wasn't sure how. He didn't have much time to observe her, after all. He _had_ to retain his position in the team, for his father would never let him stay if he wasn't in the first string. According to Akashi Masaomi, basketball was a waste of time.

Akashi told himself to stop thinking about his father.

"All of you can leave. I want to talk with her."

* * *

"I have to admit that it's the first time I've seen someone who practices and practices, but doesn't improve at all."

Kuroko felt as if a knife was suddenly stuck in her. "S-Sorry, but I seem to not be in the state to hear something like this."

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't mean it that way. You're not bad at sports, and you've practiced for a long time, but I don't sense anything in you. It's a rare occurrence, but you have a low presence even as a basketball player. Again, it's rare, but it's not a weakness. It's your advantage. If you can learn how to use it, it will easily become an incredible weapon."

"You want me to… make use of my low presence? Is that even possible?"

"I'm sorry, but I can only say so much. I'm not teaching you a new technique, but I'm letting you create your own. You'll have to keep practicing, and I have my own practice to do. But I'll be waiting. I don't think we'll be able to test your abilities even if you find the answer. If you succeed, tell me, and I'll find a new way to test you with the coach and the captain."

With that said, Akashi left Kuroko in the gym, thinking.

* * *

"You were listening, Midorima?" The green-haired boy was standing just outside the gym.

"I was just interested to see who you've set your eyes upon. I know her. She saved me once from forever doom by giving me the lucky item of the day: a duckling toy." Midorima paused, and his eyes shone with gratitude. "But it's still unbelievable. Do you really think she is special?"

"Who knows? I've let down the rope, and whether she'll climb up or not depends on herself." Akashi saw Kuroko walking out of the gym and gave her a smile. _She seems perfectly capable._

 **I guess you can say that Aomine is the first of the GoM to fall for Kuroko. Akashi might be the next one. Midorima still thinks of Kuroko as his savior though. Kise (when he later appears) is quick to like Kuroko because she is different from the other girls. Murasakibara first takes interest in her because she gives him her milkshake?**

 **Their second year will be filled with stuff like frog hunting, Teiko school festival, training camp, minor quarrels, and more!**


	3. Chapter 3: Phantom 6th Man

"Continue?! Is it really the best choice, even though… No, I won't say anything. Keep trying."

Kuroko spotted Aomine in the halls. "Aomine-kun. I've decided to keep trying." The tanned boy's face lighted up. "Yeah! I'll practice in that gym with you!"

Kuroko was practicing harder than ever. She managed to complete the exercises every day. After school, Aomine would help her. Even in class, she sometimes wrote down basketball things in her notebook.

"So did you find the answer yet? Your own unique thing that Akashi told you about?" Aomine and Kuroko were good friends now, and they were on the way home from school.

"Not yet."

"Yeah. Nobody finds out that fast. But maybe Akashi's just teasing you?"

"I would probably cry."

Aomine looked serious for a while. "Listen. I won't let anybody make you cry. Remember, keep trying and don't give up!"

"What kind of person is Akashi-kun?"

"Him? He's really amazing. He's smart, and he can always grasp the movements of the players around him."

"Then maybe I shouldn't aim for point guard? If there's Akashi-kun, I won't be needed."

"But Akashi's not perfect at everything. He should have things he can't do."

"Like what?"

"Like a super big curve ball." Aomine made a swinging motion with his arm.

"I don't think anyone can do that. Oh, I want to buy a novel."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow, Tetsu!"

Kuroko walked into the book store. She was about to go for the fiction section, but a book caught her eye. "Misdirection?"

* * *

"Hey, don't you think Kuroko's ability to bypass the defensive players is getting better?"

"Eh? You could say that her low presence is getting even lower…"

* * *

"Waah! Oh, you're looking for Akashi?" As usual, Kuroko's low presence scared everyone very much.

Akashi turned to smile at the teal-haired girl.

"Kuroko-san? I've waited for a while. It's been three months, right? Have you found the answer yet?"

"Yes. Can you test it during a game?"

Akashi looked surprised for a second, but he nodded. "Okay. I'll go ask."

A crowd of second and third stringers walked into the gym. Some were surprised at the sight of the first string's coach. They seemed completely oblivious of the upcoming game.

"Okay, so today is the second string and third string's game. To prevent confusion, I haven't told them about the details. Use your technique in this game. First, your team has to win. Second, your technique will have to be accepted by the coach and the captain. Also, this is the one and only time you can be tested. I'm looking forward to your performance."

Kuroko tied her hair into a ponytail, which signified her determination. The teal-haired girl walked onto the basketball court.

The ball came towards Kuroko, and she quickly passed it to the teammate behind her. That said teammate was stunned for a second, but shot the ball into the basket.

"The ball went in?!"

"How did that happen?"

"Is it the girl with the low presence?"

* * *

"So you knew she would turn out like this?" Nijimura and Akashi stood at the side, watching.

"A little bit different than what I thought. I didn't know she was going to use misdirection. It's beyond my expectations." Akashi smiled.

* * *

"Finally, Shinta. Those are the new second stringers for today. Also, Kuroko Tetsuya. You will practice with the first string from now on." Kuroko smiled to herself. She had passed! After acknowledging her hard work, the coach left, and a pink-haired girl came up.

"Um, Kuroko Tetsuya? Where is she?" Momoi looked around for the girl, and she cried out when Kuroko raised her hand.

"You're going to be in the first string from now on." _So she's the one Dai-chan talks about? But she looks so weak…_

"I brought Kuroko-san over." Momoi led the teal-haired girl into the gym, and all eyes were trained on her. Kuroko felt a little uncomfortable, but she told herself to not be afraid.

"You're finally here, Tetsu!" Aomine greeted Kuroko with a smile.

"I was waiting." Akashi turned towards the slightly nervous girl. "Welcome to the first string of Teiko Boys' Basketball club. Just remember that from now on, your only goal is to bring victory to our team."

* * *

"Eh? She's really in now?" The tall boy looked at Kuroko in an unconvinced way. Someone called Haizaki came in the door. He bumped into Kuroko. "WAAA! Who are you?" Haizaki drew back as if he saw a ghost, and Kuroko felt a little hurt, even though it was normal for people to react like that. "I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, and I'll be joining the first string from now on. Nice to meet you." Haizaki gave her a disbelieving look before quickly walking away.

"A-Aomine-kun. I-Is the first string's exercises always so brutal?" Kuroko was on the ground, barely able to move after the excruciating exercises.

"Is that so? There's fewer people, so your turn comes up pretty quick… Tetsu! Don't throw up. Satsuki! Get a bucket and a towel!"

 _After practice…_

"Are you staying to practice, Tetsu?" Aomine looked worriedly at the tired Kuroko. "Sorry. I think I'll… just go home today." The girl slowly made her way out of the gym.

"I don't think that's really good. Even though it's her first day, I just wanted to beat her up because she was so unsatisfactory…" Murasakibara chomped on a snack.

"I agree with him. Akashi, is Kuroko really up to it?" Midorima adjusted his glasses before picking up his lucky item (a computer mouse).

"I did think of it. It won't be good if she can't even finish the exercises, but we can only have her keep on practicing. Then she'd get her recognition in the real thing."

"You mean she's going to play in the game?" Midorima stared in disbelief.

Nijimura answered Midorima's question.

"You didn't tell them? We're having competitions next week, and the opponent is trying to suppress us by requiring that only first years play. Prepare to be lowered to second or third string if we lose." Nijimura paused for a while. "Also, we will lower Kuroko Tetsuya to third string immediately if she proves useless."

* * *

"Oh… They're here. The strongest: Teiko." Murmurs were exchanged as the team walked into the stadium.

"Don't be nervous, Tetsu." Aomine tried to reassure the nervous girl, who was trembling.

"But I just jumped from third string to first. Playing in the game is also a first, so…"

"Are you kidding? It's really your first time?"

"Don't hinder us." Murasakibara stared down at Kuroko, who felt even more nervous.

"This is just outrageous." Midorima shook his head. All of this made Kuroko unhappy. Are they accepting her or taunting her?

"Damn! Haizaki is pretending to be sick again! We'll have to change the starting lineup." Nijimura vowed to punish the lazy player.

"Haizaki is absent. The starting lineup is Akashi, Aomine, Midorima, Murasakibara, and Kuroko." The said girl froze. She was in the starting lineup?

Murmurs broke out in the crowd.

"Their fifth player is a girl?"

"She looks so weak…"

Aomine looked over at her in worry. Kuroko was trembling like a newborn fawn who had not learned to walk yet.

"Calm down, Kuroko-san-" Akashi was going to comfort the girl, but she had fallen face-down on the floor.

Murasakibara and Midorima just stared. "I'm sorry. I had a cramp. It's okay." Kuroko stood up, but the teal-haired girl had blood flowing out of her nose.

There were jeers coming from the other teams and the crowd as Kuroko walked off. She felt terrible. She had made her team look bad, and she was exchanged for Nijimura only after one second.

* * *

"Has your nose stopped bleeding?" The coach looked over at Kuroko, who was sitting on the bench. She nodded dumbly.

"Substitution."

Kuroko was more nervous than ever. She clumsily passed the ball, but Murasakibara missed it.

The purple giant had his hand on her head. "Were you playing pranks? I'll beat you up…"

"Stop it, Murasakibara." Midorima had sensed Kuroko's style of playing. _Interesting._

Aomine was simply worried. _If it doesn't work, Tetsu will just become a hindrance. Come on, Tetsu!_

Teiko still won, but Kuroko's passes did not improve.

* * *

Aomine's face was so scary, it resembled a ghost. He was staring at his bento.

"What's that, Mine-chin?" Murasakibara was eating a fried shrimp.

"Bento. Satsuki's. Do you want it?" Aomine looked even more sullen.

"Nah. It looks too dark for my tastes."

"I'm going to the convenience store."

Aomine started to walk away, but he noticed Kuroko, who was sitting by herself in a dejected way. "Cheer up, Tetsu! There's still another game!"

"Aomine-kun… Okay, I'll keep trying." Kuroko smiled a little, but she still looked unhappy.

* * *

Aomine saw the coach and Nijimura not far from the team. _What are they talking about?_

He purposely walked near them to listen, and what he heard struck him. Hard.

"There is no next time. Kuroko Tetsuya has proved useless, and she will be lowered immediately."

"W-Wait a minute!" Aomine rushed up to the coach. "There's still another game! Let Kuroko try again!"

* * *

Akashi wondered if he had made the wrong choice. Even though it was her first time, Kuroko was too confused, and the coach was very disappointed. _They probably won't let her play in the next game._

Kuroko had found Aomine's wallet on the bench. She saw him with the coach, and was going to run up to him when she heard the coach's devastating words.

"She has no value. I will lower her immediately." The coach was turning to leave, but Aomine kept trying.

"If that's your decision, please lower me with her. If she doesn't past the test again, I'll go to third string with her."

"Do you have a reason?" The coach stopped, and stared coldly at the tanned boy. "No… But I have a feeling that she'll save us all someday! It's just my instinct."

"…Fine. But if Kuroko fails again, you two are going to third string together."

Aomine felt relieved. At least Kuroko wasn't going to be lowered right now. "Wait, where's my wallet?" He checked his pockets. No wallet.

Suddenly, somebody held it out to him. "Here's your wallet, Aomine-kun." Kuroko stood in front of him, and she looked even more downcast. Her gray eyes were lifeless and dejected.

"Why did you do that, Aomine-kun?"

"You heard? It makes me angry. People who practice hard like Tetsu don't seize the opportunity at first. Everybody has a chance, no matter if they practice or not. But the ones to grasp it should be the people who try hard."

"But what if Aomine-kun is lowered to third string?" Kuroko looked slightly cheered, but she was still worried that Aomine would be lowered because of her.

"What are you saying? You just try your best in the next game. You still have one chance, and I know that Tetsu has the ability to seize this opportunity."

Kuroko took a deep breath, and raised her head. "Yeah."

* * *

Nijimura showed up with Haizaki, who had taken a beating from the angry captain. The game started, but everyone seemed to be tired. Aomine actually missed a shot!

To the spectators' surprise, Teiko only had a two point gap ahead of the other team at the end of the second quarter.

"It's because their strength is limited." Nijimura and the coach watched them intently. This was the first time they played two games in a row, and it would be tiring.

"Kuroko replaces Haizaki in the second half."

Kuroko told herself that she could do it. Aomine's fate was also on her shoulders!

"Kuroko-san. You'll have to change your passing speed." Akashi approached Kuroko, who looked surprised. "Not passing well in the first game wasn't simply because you were nervous. You only had practice passing to the third stringers. In the first string, we are much quicker than that. Also, what kind of person do you think has a strong presence?"

The teal-haired girl seemed confused for a while, but she answered. "Someone outgoing?"

"True. People who get noticed have a wide range of emotions, and they often exhibit their feelings. You have to control your feelings. Ambition is fine, but keep it inside."

Kuroko took a deep breath. "I understand." For that one second, she was no more than a shadow…

This time, Kuroko's passes were quick and effective. Midorima was stunned for a while, but he shot the ball into the basket. The team started to gain a bigger and bigger lead on their opponent, with Teiko eventually winning 71-55. There was a rumor that day. The rumor was quick to be forgotten, but whenever Teiko is mentioned, people say that they have a phantom sixth man…

* * *

 **That is Kuroko's basic intro. After this chapter, the team accepts her, and the story will not just be the manga flashback, but filled with interludes of friendship, romance, and more!**


	4. Chapter 4: First Day, New Member

**I saw some comments and decided to create a poll! Which person in the GoM do you think is perfect for the female Kuroko? I'll include more scenes for the most popular couple, and might (again,** _ **might**_ **) actually let them end up together throughout the series!**

Kuroko Tetsuya walked through the crowd holding her new novel. It was her second year at Teiko now, and Kuroko remembered the time when she slipped through the crowds, searching for the basketball club. She may not be a regular yet, but going from third string to first was a big step towards playing against Ogiwara-kun.

Kuroko's hair had grown longer throughout the past year, but she had decided to cut it. Long hair was not suited for basketball anyway. Her teal colored hair was now shoulder-length, her presence was as low as ever, but her gray eyes shone with a new light.

"Class 2-C… Where is 2-C…" Kuroko shoes made clicking sounds against the tiled floor as she walked around looking for her classroom. The second years' hallway was unexplored territory to her, and she was getting hopelessly lost…

"Hey Tetsu!" A familiar voice stopped Kuroko in her tracks. The person speaking was Aomine Daiki, who befriended her last year. He was always a cheerful and funny friend that Kuroko liked to be around.

"What class are you in?" Aomine walked up to Kuroko, who quickly replied.

"2-C. Unfortunately, I can't find it." Kuroko was looking worried, for she did not want to be late on her first day.

Aomine was about to show her the way, but a certain redhead had to interrupt.

"I can help you find it, Kuroko-san. I'm also in 2-C." Akashi Seijurou walked up to the two friends with a smile. Kuroko nodded her thanks and started walking away.

"See you later, Aomine-kun." She gave Aomine a quick wave before turning a corner.

The tanned boy felt irritated. It was his time to show his reliability, so why did Akashi have to intervene?!

* * *

Akashi didn't know why he interrupted Kuroko and Aomine. The act made him feel rude, but for some reason, he felt victorious at the same time.

But what was victorious about showing a teammate to her classroom? He really didn't understand his recent actions.

"Akashi-kun, that's a dead end…" Kuroko's voice quickly reminded Akashi to pay attention to where he was going.

"My apologies. I was thinking, and did not pay attention to where we were going. 2-C is supposed to be right..."

It was already very crowded in the hallway, but a sudden rush of the mob of students pushed Akashi and Kuroko apart. The vice-captain was about to look for her, but someone running by pushed him onto the ground. This day was _not_ going well for Akashi.

He quickly stood up before anyone could notice him. Kuroko had to be found, or she'd be late. Abandoning her was not an option currently, not like it would ever be one.

"Akashi-kun…" The teal-haired girl was suddenly beside him, and Akashi felt relieved. That would save the time of finding her.

"2-C is right over there." They quickly turned left and walked to the end of the hallway, only to find the door shut.

"We're late, Akashi-kun. They'd probably forget me anyway, but what about you?"

"A tardy is a tardy. We still have to get in."

Akashi knocked on the door, and it was opened quite roughly by a middle aged man with glasses.

"You two are…" He narrowed his eyes and glanced at his attendance sheet.

"Akashi Seijurou and Kuroko Tetsuya. I was helping her find our class, but we lost our way because of many reasons."

"Hmph. Come in." The teacher held the door open, and the two walked in.

* * *

Aomine had no interest in whoever the tardy students were. The class was pretty curious though, because Ishino-sensei was known to be "an evil old geezer" among the older students who had him. So what if he was evil? Bad luck on the kids that got a tardy.

"Maybe I'll get some sleep…" He felt especially tired today, and was drifting off when he heard murmurs exchanged.

"Akashi-sama is late?"

" _The_ Akashi Seijurou?"

"By the way, who's that girl?"

"What girl? Oh, her? She was in my class last year. Had a really low presence."

"Tetsu?"

Sure enough, the late students were Akashi and Kuroko. The former just sat down quietly without a word, but Kuroko was still looking for a seat.

"Over here, Tetsu."

The teal-haired girl blinked in gratitude and sat down beside Aomine. Ishino-sensei shut the door and cleared his throat.

"Seeing as Akashi-kun is a model student, he will be pardoned. Kuroko-san will be also pardoned, since she maintained a perfect attendance last year. However, there is no next time, do you hear me? This applies to all of you!"

"Hai, sensei…"

* * *

"Did you shrink?" Aomine and Kuroko were on their way to the gym.

"No… I think Aomine-kun grew taller. Is that Haizaki-kun?"

Kuroko glanced outside the window. Haizaki was just outside, with his arm curled around a girl's shoulders.

"If that guy quits his laziness, he might actually be a good person."

"Has Aomine-kun been observing him?"

"He plays pretty well, but I don't like him that much. It's already this late? Tetsu, we have to run!"

As Kuroko ran, she did not notice a certain blonde passing by. She felt surprisingly happy.

 _So this is what it feels like to have a friend. I'm finally closer to my dream!_

Two friends ran down the hall joyfully as the cherry trees swayed outside…

* * *

"Kuroko Tetsuya. From the next game on, you'll be on official on the bench. You'll be wearing the number 15."

The teal-haired girl stood there, frozen in surprise.

"You did it, Tetsu! Aren't you happy?"

"Yes…"

"Congratulations. You're an official player now." Akashi gave Kuroko a brief smile.

"Congratulations." Midorima nodded at the teal-haired girl.

 _I'm another step closer!_

"Also, we always chose the starting lineup from the second and third years. However, this year, the starting lineup will be Akashi and the other second years."

* * *

"Um, where's Kuroko Tetsuya?" Momoi Satsuki looked around for the teal-haired girl.

"Momoi-san, I'm right here." Kuroko tapped the pinkette's shoulder.

"Gyaa! Oh, here's your jersey. There's a new member who just got promoted to the first string, so they'd like you to be his mentor… His name is Kise Ryouta."

* * *

Kuroko walked into the gym, looking for the new first stringer. "He must be that one…" Standing not far away was a cheerful looking blonde boy, who turned around quickly at the sound of footsteps.

"He's here! I've waited for a long time. I joined the basketball club because I want to play basketball with you, Aominecchi!" Kise turned to the tanned boy, completely ignoring Kuroko, who was about to say hi.

"-cchi? Oh well. Nice to meet you. You should say hi to Tetsu here. She's your mentor from now on."

"Where?""

"She's beside you."

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya, nice to meet you." Kuroko decided to introduce herself.

Kise slowly turned around to stare at the teal-haired girl.

"Whaaat? A girl? Who are you?" He had an utterly confused expression on his face.

"Kuroko Tetuya."

"Uh… Who's my mentor?"

"I'm your mentor."

"Wait- Whaaaaaaat?"

"You should listen to her, Kise. She's an official player now."

"Official player?"

Kise studied the teal-haired girl in front of him. _She looks pretty cute, but she's my mentor? How is she even in first string? Wait, why is she in the boys' basketball club in the first place? She looks so weak._

* * *

"Kise-kun, about cleaning up…"

"Um, before that, can I change my mentor?" Before Kuroko could reply, Aomine bopped Kise on the head with a basketball.

"Didn't I tell you to just listen to her?"

Kise faced the tanned boy with an annoyed expression.

"No! I can't endure being taught by someone weaker than me!"

"I said that Tetsu isn't weak!"

"Did she do anything remarkable in practice today?"

"Come to think of it, no…"

Their little argument went on while the others watched. Midorima turned to Akashi, who was watching quietly. "Are we going to give him a different mentor?"

"No… It's not necessary. By the way, where's the captain?"

"Nijimura? He's talking to the coach about something…"

* * *

The black-haired captain walked into the coach's office with a solemn expression.

"What is it, Nijimura?"

He paused for a while, but spoke with a determined tone. "I've been thinking for a while. Whether it's for the team's good or mine, please make Akashi Seijurou the captain."

 **Note: Hai means yes in japanese.**


	5. Chapter 5: Tip Off

**Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews so far!**

Kuroko kept licking her ice cream bar. Murasakibara was eating a whole box of them in a way that Kuroko disliked very much. _Messy_ , she thought.

Kise didn't seem too happy though. Perhaps it was because they had made him pay for the ice cream? His bar was slowly melting, even though the night air was quite cool and refreshing.

Before Kuroko knew it, she had finished hers. On the wooden stick were the words: "You won!" The teal-haired girl stared for a while. Her luck was never _this_ good.

"You got a winning stick, Tetsu? Why don't you turn it in for a prize?" Aomine had not finished his ice cream yet. He seemed distracted.

"Momoi-san can have it." The pinkette was standing nearby with nothing to do, so Kuroko offered her stick to Momoi.

"Wait, why are you giving me a stick? It's a winner? Thank you! I'll treasure it!" Momoi's reaction felt a bit extreme to Kuroko, but she smiled at the pinkette anyway. Momoi was always nice to her, and Kuroko felt grateful for that.

Just as soon as Momoi accepted the Popsicle stick, someone rushed past, pushing the girl onto the floor.

"Help! Thief!" At the mention of those words, Aomine and Kise set off after the unknown criminal while Kuroko helped Momoi.

Without a word, Midorima took the box of ice cream bars from Murasakibara and shot it into the air like he would with a ball. The ice cream bars hurtled off into their unknown destiny as an upset Murasakibara ran after it.

"Midorima-kun, are you sure it will hit the thief?" Kuroko stared at the path that the ice cream took.

"Of course. Cancers have great accuracy today. By the way, Aquarius will make new friends today. Almost forgot to tell you that."

Moments later, the three came back with the captured thief. After turning him in, they were walking on the streets, which were only lit by lights from nearby stores.

"That was so great, you guys!" Momoi had a big smile on her face, and she was obviously very happy. "Yeah. Good teamwork. Aomine-kun and Kise-kun were so brave." Kuroko smiled a little.

"Uh, thanks for the compliment, Tetsu."

Aomine looked a little flustered, and looked away from the teal-haired girl.

"Anyway, Kise, don't ask to change a mentor anymore. Tetsu is an official player too, and she has more experience than you. In fact, everyone here is a starter."

"Huh? Everyone here is in the starting lineup? Even her?" Kise glanced at Kuroko, who stared back with a blank expression.

 _The day of the game…_

Kise put on a smile and waved to his fangirls as the team prepared to leave for the game. However, they were surrounding him with encouragements until he was quite a distance behind the others.

A slim hand made its way through the crowd of girls and dragged Kise out. Kuroko walked quickly while pulling the unwilling Kise towards the team.

"Hey! They were fans!"

"We have a game to play, Kise-kun."

"You're no fun…"

As the team entered Komagi's gym, Kuroko noticed immediately that every player there looked down on them. They were currently jeering about Teiko's female player, but Kuroko told herself that she'd get them back in the game. Kise's usually cheerful attitude was more subdued, and he seemed aware of Komagi's taunts.

"Don't let them get to you. Girls can play basketball too." Kise gave Kuroko a quick smile. Even though she didn't appear to be particularly strong at basketball, he wouldn't allow anyone to insult a teammate.

Kuroko nodded and blocked out Komagi's jeers and taunts in her mind. She would help their team win this game, and maybe Kise will be content with her mentorship.

The teal-haired girl soon realized that the referee was biased. It was quite obvious, really. The gap grew larger and larger… until Kise was brought into the game. Kuroko was determined to win against such a taunting and biased school even more now. Basketball should be played fairly.

Kise was heavily guarded, but Kuroko was not. Her low presence had taken effect yet again. The teal-haired girl quickly passed to the blonde, who looked stunned for a moment before moving. They kept cooperating until the gap was no longer large, and the jeers slowly dwindled until Teiko won.

It wasn't such an important game, but that made Kise realize the shadow player's real ability. He was truly surprised. _So this is her ability?_

"Kurokocchi, that was great!"

Kuroko stared at Kise. She didn't particularly like her new nickname.

 _He seemed to have seen how I play though._

"Please do not add the –cchi to my name."

"Kurokocchi, I think I'm going to really get into basketball!"

And that was the game that would change Kise's view of Kuroko drastically from contempt to respect.


End file.
